Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 9 (ANI): Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday alleged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids were politically motivated and claimed that most such raids in recent years had targeted Opposition leaders.
“The ED raids are politically motivated. In the last six years, 196 raids have been conducted, but only two cases have resulted in convictions. As many as 97% of the raids have been against Opposition leaders,” Kharge said.
“They want to conduct the next election with CBI, IT, and ED, not with the BJP leaders…,” he added.
Kharge was reacting to the ED raids on Karnataka Minister Satish Jarkiholi, alleging that central agencies were being used against Opposition leaders.
“These are raids sponsored by the Central Government; these agencies are nothing but ‘parrots’ being controlled by their masters,” he said.
Kharge further alleged that the BJP did not have faith in its leaders in Karnataka and claimed that central agencies were being used in the run-up to elections.
“They are going to face elections under the leadership of the IT and ED. This is just the beginning. They may conduct raids against CM DK Shivakumar and me as well. Just watch,” he said.
He also referred to an earlier raid against former Minister Nagendra and questioned what followed after the action. Kharge alleged that the BJP would rely on central agencies rather than its leaders to fight the elections.
Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches at the residences of Karnataka PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi and his daughter, Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Jarkiholi. The Enforcement Directorate is also conducting searches at the residence of the minister’s brother-in-law, Y Manjunath, among 18 places.
According to the agency, this case is not related to the alleged excise case against Manjunath but a separate alleged money laundering case against Satish Jarkiholi
The agency began its operation based on certain inputs in close coordination with security forces, covering the premises of suspects linked to the case being investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. (ANI)
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